Zoya Cosmic Trio 2021 Limited Edition Swatches and Reviews

 *press samples*

Hello hello! Zoya has their seasonal collections as well as a few others like the Naturel line that usually comes around once a year. They also do some limited edition shades, and the trio I have to share with you tonight just so happens to be limited. I'm not sure how long these will be available, so if you find any that catch your eye, please don't wait too long to pick them up. This Cosmic Trio contains "holographic shades that are inspired by the unique star clusters of outer space. These astral shades are created with a blend of metallic glitter, and holographic particles in 5 different sizes to give a dynamic effect creating a soft textured finish, but can be paired with Ultra Glossy Top Coat to create a smooth and shiny surface." These retail for $12 each, but if you purchase the set for $36, you get all 3 polishes, 3 of their Z-wide brushes, and their glossy topcoat as well. Swatch time! 

Zoya Celestia (3 coats)

Shall we start with my favorite of the 3? Celestia is a silver that leans a bit taupe with blue/purple shifting shimmer and a scattered holographic finish. I just love that pop of shimmer that contrasts from the lighter base. These are a bit sheerer, but they are designed to be that way. I didn't try them as toppers, but a few other bloggers did, and they work great as long as you use really thin coats. They dry with a little texture, but not as much as I expected. I do recommend a thick topcoat to smooth it all out though. 

Zoya Eradani (2 coats)

Eradani is a bit different than the other 2. The finish isn't quite the same (the pure holo finish like the others isn't there), but that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful all the same. Eradani is a magenta microglitter with indigo shimmer and a slight holo finish. This one was more opaque, but I found the formula to be a bit gummy, so work slowly. 

Zoya Polaris (3 coats)

Last, but not least we have Polaris which is a rose gold microglitter with pink/purple shimmer and a scattered holo finish. I really wanted to love this one, but I just don't think it looks great with my skintone. It's not the polish's fault...I really think this will look beautiful on lots of other people. The formula was good in 3 coats. 

There you have it, a short and sweet trio. This is why I love Zoya; most mainstream brands don't do holographic polishes, especially ones with contrasting shimmers. Remember, these can go away at any moment, so pick yours up while you can. 

Zoya polishes retail for $12 and you can find out more about them on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages. Keep an eye out for them in your local Ulta store if you want to see the bottles in person before you buy. They often have sales, so check their social media pages periodically. 

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Polish Pickup November 2020 Red Carpet Swatches and Reviews

 *press samples* 

Hi folks! I've been such a bad blogger lately, and for that, I apologize. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a bit of the Covid blues right now. And with us losing an hour for Daylight Savings Time, I'll be driving to work and coming home in the dark. Boo! I truly hope things have been going ok with you. On a much lighter note, I've got several items for this month's PPU to share with you. This month's theme is Red Carpet which can be taken many different ways. New to PPU? If so, here's how it works:

Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. Oh, and shipping is a flat-rate of $3 to the US (more for international and they just had to increase the pricing to Canada). Recently they also opened a UK site which you can find here. Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

PPU starts Friday, Nov. 6th at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, Nov. 9th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a cap and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. The website just opened up today for wishlisting, so go check out this month's offerings STAT. Time for swatches!

New Shades from Soothing Soul Nail Lacquer: September 2020 Swatches and Reviews

 *press samples*

Hi folks! I hope your week has been going well. Can you believe it's the middle of September and Daylight Savings Time will be starting very soon. I hate driving to and from work in the dark 😞 Other than that, I've basically been going to work and staying home as much as possible. Very exciting stuff as we all know too well. Tonight I have 5 shades from Soothing Soul Nail Lacquer to share with you. These will be released this Friday, September 18th on their website for just $9.50 each. They are all different shimmer shades, but they're not part of any specific collection. Shall we get a better look at these beauties? 

Bees Knees Lacquer The Deadra Collection Swatches and Review: Nocturnal

Bees Knees Lacquer Nocturnal (3 coats)

Hi guys! I was in Atlanta working all weekend, and I'm still recovering. It's about a 6-7 hr drive from my house, and of course it decided to pour down rain on our way back on Sunday. I spent my birthday driving to Atlanta, and then had to set up some equipment until 10:30 PM. Yeah. Needless to say, I'm excited to rest up this weekend. Tonight I have another Bees Knees Lacquer polish, this time from the Deadra Collection. 

When I heard about Nocturnal, I immediately thought it was going to be a black base. I was delighted to find that it was a grey crelly base with blue undertones. Maybe the blue comes out from the turquoise shimmer and blue flakes. Add to that a healthy dose of rose gold flakes and you've got Nocturnal. This was the first polish I put in my cart, and I'm sure you're not surprised. I used 3 thin coats for the photos, and as I mentioned last week, I had a little bit of trouble applying these with the long brush in the bottle. Once I finally caught on, I had no issues. It dried with a little bit of texture, but a thick topcoat smooths everything out. 

This is a really unique color, and I'm becoming a big fan of Bees Knees Lacquer! This one is still available for $12, but I bought it with a discount code found in their Facebook Group. For more information, make sure to stop by the Bees Knees website, Instagram, or Facebook Group!